Title 19Customs DutiesRelease 119-73

§2102 Congressional statement of purpose

Title 19 › Chapter CHAPTER 12— - TRADE ACT OF 1974 › § 2102

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Use mutual-benefit trade agreements to grow the U.S. economy and jobs and to build stronger ties with other countries. The agreements must lower trade barriers so U.S. businesses get fair chances, promote fair trade (including reforming the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade), protect workers and industry from harmful imports and help them adjust, open markets in nonmarket economies, and give less developed countries fair access to the U.S. market.

Full Legal Text

Title 19, §2102

Customs Duties — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The purposes of this chapter are, through trade agreements affording mutual benefits—
(1)to foster the economic growth of and full employment in the United States and to strengthen economic relations between the United States and foreign countries through open and nondiscriminatory world trade;
(2)to harmonize, reduce, and eliminate barriers to trade on a basis which assures substantially equivalent competitive opportunities for the commerce of the United States;
(3)to establish fairness and equity in international trading relations, including reform of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade;
(4)to provide adequate procedures to safeguard American industry and labor against unfair or injurious import competition, and to assist industries, firm,11 So in original. workers, and communities to adjust to changes in international trade flows;
(5)to open up market opportunities for United States commerce in nonmarket economies; and
(6)to provide fair and reasonable access to products of less developed countries in the United States market.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 93–618, Jan. 3, 1975, 88 Stat. 1978, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

References in Text

note set out under section 2101 of this title and Tables.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Statement of Purposes of 1984 Amendment Pub. L. 98–573, title III, § 302, Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 3000, provided that: “The purposes of this title [see

Short Title

of 1984 Amendment note set out under section 2101 of this title] are— “(1) to foster the economic growth of, and full employment in, the United States by expanding competitive United States exports through the achievement of commercial opportunities in foreign markets substantially equivalent to those accorded by the United States; “(2) to improve the ability of the President—“(A) to identify and to analyze barriers to (and restrictions on) United States trade and investment, and “(B) to achieve the elimination of such barriers and restrictions; “(3) to encourage the expansion of—“(A) international trade in services through the negotiation of agreements (both bilateral and multilateral) which reduce or eliminate barriers to international trade in services, and “(B) United States service industries in foreign commerce; and “(4) to enhance the free flow of foreign direct investment through the negotiation of agreements (both bilateral and multilateral) which reduce or eliminate the trade distortive effects of certain investment-related measures.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

19 U.S.C. § 2102

Title 19Customs Duties

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73